This week on Viewtopia, horror junkies and at-home 3D users get to scream together; the goths get all the vampire television they can sink their teeth into; and Tom Cruise takes on Adolf Hitler.

My Bloody Valentine 3D Two-Disc Special Edition (2009)

2009 is quickly becoming a banner year for 3D: The eye-popping technology is taking over our multiplexes, home theaters and computer screens. Earlier this year, gorehounds stood in line for a ticket to Lionsgate's 3D remake of the grossly underrated Canadian splatter classic My Bloody Valentine. The plot--masked killer stalking a town with a dark secret--is standard slasher fare, but provides a jaw-dropping showcase for all the 3D effects. Lionsgate Home Video has included both the 3D and 2D versions of the film, along with four pairs of 3D glasses for you and your friends, but keep in mind that the Real-D effects that people experienced in the theater have been replaced with the standard two-color (green/magenta) anaglyph process.

True Blood: The Complete First Season 5-Disc Box Set (2008)

Japanese scientists have invented an artificial blood that has allowed vampires to come out of the shadows and integrate into society. Adapted from Charlaine Harris' series of novels by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Alan Ball (American Beauty), True Blood creates a world where science and the supernatural collide. Growing up in the bayou of Bon Temps, Louisiana, Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) has never even seen a vampire--until Bill comes to town. Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) was "killed" during the Civil War, and has now returned to reclaim his family's abandoned estate. But then, of course, he and Sookie develop an "unnatural" fondness for one another. HBO's True Blood is presented in its original 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio with 5.1-channel Dolby Digital surround sound.

Extras include:

* Six audio commentaries with the cast and crew, including creator Alan Ball, Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer

Valkyrie Two-Disc Special Edition (2008)

Sadly, it seems that some people may have judged director Bryan Singer's taut, historical thriller based on the offscreen antics of its biggest star, rather than on the content of the film itself. That's a shame, because Singer, along with screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie, return to the type of complex, character-rich story that propelled them to fame with 1995's The Usual Suspects. The film is based on the fifteenth and final assassination attempt on the life of Adolf Hitler, some nine months before his suicide. Operation Valkyrie was a real-world contingency plan, signed into law by Hitler himself, that allowed for the Army Reserves to declare martial law in the event of an emergency to preserve law and order. A group of high-ranking German officers, led by Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise), modify the plan in order to seize control of the government from the Nazis after the death of the Fhrer. Valkyrie is presented in its original 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio with 5.1-channel Dolby Digital surround sound.

Writer/director Quentin Tarantino has always worn his influences on his sleeve: Whether it's the Hong Kong thrillers that inspired Reservoir Dogs or the '70s-era exploitation films that begat Jackie Brown, Tarantino's films are like a B-movie greatest-hits collection. For his magnum opus, Kill Bill, Tarantino culled from various kung fu, samurai and yakuza pictures, including these two (see below). The Wandering Ginza Butterfly series stars Meiko Kaji as Nami, a young female gang leader recently released from prison for murder. She is forced to live with her uncle, a local pool hall owner, and must use all of her skills to defend his business when a rival gang muscles in. The sequel, Wandering Ginza Butterfly 2: She-Cat Gambler, gets a shot in the arm with the addition of leading man Sonny Chiba (The Street Fighter), who joins Nami as she hunts down the man who killed her father from the back alleys of Tokyo to a climactic showdown in a yakuza hideout. Synapse Films has fully restored and remastered both films in HD from Toei Studio's original vault elements. They are presented in their original 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratios with Japanese 2.0-channel Dolby Digital mono soundtracks and new English subtitles.

* Japanese language with newly translated, removable English subtitles

* Audio commentary by Japanese film expert Chris D.

* New, exclusive video interview with director Kazuhiko Yamaguchi

* New video interview with Pinky Violence film expert J-Taro Sugisaku

* Original Japanese theatrical trailers for both films

* Reversible cover with original Japanese poster artwork

Nightmare Castle (1965)

Nightmare Castle (Gli Amanti d'oltretomba), considered a minor masterpiece of the Italian gothic horror movement, starred '60s scream queen Barbara Steele (Black Sunday) and was scored by legendary composer Ennio Morricone (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly). Count Arrowsmith (Paul Muller) goes mad when he finds his wife, Muriel (Steele), having an affair and tortures and kills both her and her lover. However, Muriel was rich and her will states that her vast fortune is to be inherited by her institutionalized sister, Jenny (also played by Steele in a dual role). Determined to get the money, Count Arrowsmith marries Jenny only to find that Muriel and her lover have come back for revenge. Sever in Films has fully restored and remastered the film in HD from an original negative. The black-and-white film is presented in its original 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio with an English 2.0-channel Dolby Digital mono soundtrack.

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